


As Long As I Can Stay

by avxry



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Zombies, amy would have wanted this, gayyyy, i had feels and i couldn't stop, literally after amy's funeral, ship it so hard, third kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 17:53:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3077495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avxry/pseuds/avxry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Amy's funeral, Kieren is wondering exactly why Simon wants to stay. Simon explains.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Long As I Can Stay

Kieren, after finally abandoning Amy's very unconventional funeral, is walking with Simon -- walking Simon home to the bungalow, in fact, as Kieren feels every gentleman should do when one's best friend has recently passed away.   
  
They are quiet, initially. There isn't much to say, at least, not that they can think of right off hand. However, something does strike a conversation, and it happens to be the fact that Simon has decided to stay in the unhappy little town that Kieren calls his own.   
  
He says, "You don't have to stay, you know."   
  
Simon doesn't reply, but he does look over at Kieren, does that thing with his mouth, gives him a look. Kieren decides he likes Simon's face -- just generally.   
  
Kieren continues, "I don't need you or anything, if that's what you're thinking." Something doesn't feel right about those words rolling off his own tongue, but Kieren assumes that Simon won't take offense. He doesn't mean it like that. It isn't as if Kieren doesn't really want Simon around . . . He just wants to make sure that Simon isn't influenced by an incorrect presumption.   
  
Kieren would very much like it if he doesn't change Simon's mind about staying.   
  
Simon, thankfully, sticks his ground. "That's not why. I know you don't need me. You're incredible, Kieren." Simon has said these words before, and Kieren has denied them, as he almost does now, but he feels as if Simon doesn't expect him to argue, to he doesn't. He gives Simon a look that says something he doesn't quite understand himself, but it's soft and warm despite the chill in the air.   
  
"But," he replies, "you can go if you want to."  
  
"I don't want to."  
  
"Why not?" Kieren suddenly snaps with clenched teeth. "This place has been practically hell for you, and you're still staying? You told me not to punish myself, but is that what you're doing?" Kieren doesn't know why this affects him so much, but he does knows that he wants Simon to be happy, and yes, sure, Kieren himself can learn to be happy in this sad excuse of a town, but he doesn't know about Simon, thinks he's destined for something so much greater.   
  
Simon disagrees. "You're still staying," he protests, stopping with a turn of his heel to face Kieren. Kieren stops too. "This place has been hell for you too. I'm not punishing myself." He laughs, that quiet laugh that is accompanied by a bashful glance downward and then a slow look through the lashes at Kieren's face. He says quietly but factually, "I'm rewarding myself."   
  
Kieren knows that if his heart were still actually functioning and not a decrepit, rotting junk of artery, it would be beating heavily in his undead chest, because the eyes he once feared (the ones he once saw on himself and hated) have mesmerized him. He can see his unnecessary breath in the air as he says so eloquently, "What?"  
  
"Rewarding myself," Simon smirks, taking two precise steps closer to Kieren, and their faces are officially too close to be considered casual (but hey, Kieren's not complaining). "By staying with you."   
  
Kieren wants to laugh outright at the thought of himself being a reward, he's a  _PDS sufferer_ , for Christ's sake, but then he remembers that Simon is too, and maybe that's not a bad thing. Maybe they can make it a good thing. So Kieren lets himself get swept away for just a moment. He lets himself take in Simon's pale skin and unnerving eyes and hopeful expression, the way his lips are almost purple but they're advertising themselves quite openly.   
  
Kieren realizes in the split second before he does it that this is the third time he's kissed Simon, and he silently commends himself on such acts of bravery. All thoughts vanish, however, when Simon isn't even shocked this time, but he's just responsive and solid. Their lips are moving against each other, not necessarily by choice but by need, because no matter what Kieren said about not needing Simon, he was most definitely wrong.   
  
Their hands travel across each other's arms and chests and necks and their lips are surely bruised and it's a very fortunate coincidence (is it, really, a coincidence?) that neither of them particularly need to inhale oxygen because they're certainly not getting any anyway. This kiss is much more passionate than the two previous ones. Those were simple in comparison. This one has meaning, feeling,  _desperation_ , something Kieren is scared and excited to feel.   
  
It eventually floated to the surface of their flooded minds that they are standing in the middle of a street, kissing fervently, while others are just returning from a funeral, and despite their suffering of PDS, this gives them no right to insensitivity. They slow their kissing and pull away gently. Simon's hands rest on either side of Kieren's face, only inches away from his own.   
  
"You're not getting rid of me, Kieren Walker," Simon says solemnly, then the corner of his blue, bruised lips upturn ever so slightly, and Kieren finds his own following suit.   
  
"I don't have much of a problem with that," Kieren replies humorously, and Simon full-out grins, completely forgetting that this entire day should be somber and sad because he just feels quite elated right now. Kieren is in front of him and basically declaring his love (or, at the very least, like-like) for him, so why shouldn't he be happy? Amy would have forced him to be so.   
  
Simon slid his arm around Kieren's waist and held him at his side tightly, saying, "Still taking me home, then?"  
  
Kieren allows himself a smirk. "Only if I'm allowed to stay a while."   
  
Simon gives him another smile, locking their eyes and conveying something silently (he doesn't know what it is really, but it feels something like  _always_ ).   
  
"Certainly."

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, this is dreadful and short, I know, I dislike it too, however, this is my first work for the In the Flesh fandom, seeing as I just finished ALL THE EPISODES IN ONE DAY YESTERDAY SERIOUSLY NINE HOURS STRAIGHT  
> Anyway, I typically dislike zombie-themed anything but I thought this entire mini-series was perfect, so I just had to write about it. There will probably be more to come because I just can't with these two.  
> As usual, it's not beta'd, so if you'd be a gem and let me know if you see any typos, that'd be great.  
> Thanks so much for reading this awful excuse for a one shot!


End file.
